Letters -- Published Nov. 15, 2012

Why are we trying to promote democracy around the world when we do not have democracy here?

Why are we trying to promote democracy around the world when we do not have democracy here?

Wall Street and Washington have become partners in crime. Lobbyists for large corporations and institutions are bribing Congress with funding for campaigns, placing legislators under obligation to do their bidding with generous tax breaks and subsidies.

Money talks and money rules. The middle and working classes no longer have a voice. The real business of Congress is done behind closed doors during very early morning hours when the press is absent.

The only way to stop this corruption and greed is to demand legislators use only public financing for campaigns, placing time limits on campaigns and television ads.

The obscene amounts of money being spent on elections while the middle and working classes have lost jobs, homes and pensions makes me damned mad! How about you?

R.A. RogersStockton

Your check engine light comes on; you now fear a potential mechanical breakdown. You call a repair center and are told the check is free. You have it checked and are told the cost for the repair will be $330. You weigh it against trading vehicles or getting another opinion. You are told you have to pay $50 for services rendered. The matter is resolved. Another problem comes up, and you are told the cost is $80 to establish the problem, and the actual cost to make repair is approximate.

This happened to our daughter, so I called and questioned the first $330 quote to what actual repair it involved, and the good sense God gives a billy goat will tell you it was a rip-off in the making. I then called and questioned the $80 quote and was told they were not sure until "we get into it."

The automotive industry has installed a feature that will concern and confuse consumers and can cost up to $80 just to be told your gas filler cap has a bad rubber seal .

This vehicle feature needs to be eliminated or performed by the state and very strictly regulated.

Bruno WellerStockton

The most decisive actions of life - like abortion - are most often unconsidered actions. But what about the term privacy as it applies to a woman's choice in the matter of abortion?

1. Should a married woman who has been impregnated by her husband or lover have an abortion? Answer: No.

2. If a baby apparently aborted survives, should it be allowed to live? Answer: Yes.

3. Should a woman who has been raped, or is a victim of incest, be allowed to have the child aborted? Answer: Yes.

The word "choice" does not appear anywhere in the Constitution. Sexual responsibility requires an appreciation of decency and family obligations. Women who have abortions are more likely to die in the following year, the British Medical Journal reports, than the women who have given birth the same year.

An article in the Washington Times reports that researchers who have examined death records linked to abortions for 173,000 women in California discovered that those who have abortions were almost twice as likely to die the following two years.

Final Question: Should the law protect the rights of the unborn? Obvious answer: Yes.

Bob WilderEscalon

Three months ago my wife and I opened a hot dog eatery downtown, Jimbo's Wild and Crazy Dogs.

Our goal was to offer the best hot dogs possible using local ingredients. Well, we succeeded beyond our wildest dreams. Our hot dogs, Polish sausage and Bratwurst, are so delicious that on two occasions recently some people who could not wait for us to open broke in and helped themselves.

I would like to thank the Stockton Police Department for its help, and especially our wonderful customers. Thank you all very much.